Pão de Queijo

Instructions

1. 1 Preheat your oven to two hundred degrees Celsius and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out the tapioca flour into a large mixing bowl and set aside for the next step.
2. 2 Combine the milk, vegetable oil, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, watching carefully as the mixture can boil over quickly once it starts bubbling.
3. 3 Immediately pour the boiling liquid over the tapioca flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a thick, sticky, gelatinous dough forms. The texture will be very different from wheat-based doughs, appearing glossy and stretchy.
4. 4 Allow the dough to cool for about ten minutes until comfortable to handle. Add the egg and knead it in thoroughly, working the dough until the egg is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and uniform.
5. 5 Add the grated Parmesan cheese and continue kneading until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the dough. The final dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and pliable enough to roll into balls.
6. 6 Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between your palms into balls about three centimetres in diameter. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about four centimetres apart to allow for puffing.
7. 7 Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until the cheese breads have puffed up dramatically and turned light golden on the outside while remaining soft and chewy inside. Serve warm, as they are best fresh from the oven.